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Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Are You Amazed By The Stamina Of The IX?

A Roman Legion gained its strength from its ability to meter out combat power over protracted periods of time. They did this by adopting formations that allowed them to rotate and tactically redeploy to different positions, thereby conserving stamina and extending fighting efficiency.

*******

Is it any wonder then, that the sci-fi epic dealing with the legendary lost Ninth Legion of Rome would be any different?

10 months in - and The IX still has the stamina to dominate the Goodreads charts, topping no less than eleven categories - and holding a "top ten" spot in seventeen more.

Not only that, The IX continues to draw critical acclaim from all branches of the speculative fiction world.

AUS cavalry company, engaged on a special mission, vital to the peace treaty proposed by Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln.

A twenty-first century Special Forces unit, desperate to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.

From vastly different backgrounds, these soldiers are united when they are snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing. Thinking they may have been granted a reprieve, imagine their horror when they discover they have been transported to a failing planet on the far side of the galaxy, where they are given a simple ultimatum. Fight or die. Against all odds, this group of misfits manages to turn the tide against a relentless foe, only to discover the true cost of victory might exact a price they are unwilling to pay.

Friday, September 18, 2015

Hell Bound - Olde London Town

The Grim Reaper operates from the top of Black Tower, in what humans would
call, the Tower of London, smack-bang in the middle of Olde London Town itself.
For those who don’t know, that’s in the Juxtapose level of Hell. He's lived
there for an eternity along with his Hell Hounds, (fellow bounty hunters) and the
Inquisitors, (Satan’s Special Interrogators).

The
entire complex and grounds is known throughout the many layers of the
Underworld as the Den of Iniquity,
but to Grim and his team, it's simply called The
Den.

Juxtapose
is a dangerous place to live, as its environs constantly blend into other epochs
and levels of Hell. You can be walking along a busy, traffic-clogged street one
minute, and find yourself having to jump out of the way of a horse-drawn carriage
as it clatters along cobbled roads the next. It’s confusing for damned souls when they first
arrive, but once they get used to it, well…they daren't ask to stay anywhere
else.

If you'd like to discover more about this dark and brutal world - a world where murder and mayhem are the number one sports...then click the pre-order link below.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

In 1986 we experienced hell on earth, as Janet Morris’ award winning and critically acclaimed Heroes in Hell universe
arrived. Since then, the series has gone from strength to strength.

Just look at the pedigree of the series as a
whole:

Heroes in HellThe
Gates of Hell
Rebels in HellKings in Hell
Crusaders in HellLegions of Hell
Angels in HellMasters in Hell
The Little HelliadWar in Hell
Prophets in HellExplorers in
Hell

And in
recent years
Lawyers in Hell
Rogues in Hell
Bridge Over Hell
Dreamers in Hell
Poets in Hell
Doctors in Hell

Over the years a whole host of
quality writers have contributed to the endlessly expanding mayhem in which
some of the most despicable characters in history get their just desserts.

The latest addition to the fold – Doctors
in Hell – introduced us to Satan’s chief bounty hunter, none other than the
Reaper himself, Daemon Grim.

You may be
interested to know the Grim Reaper will be appearing in his very own Heroes in
Hell adventure –Hell Bound

But be advised,
Grim isn’t someone you’d ever want to cross.
He can’t be tempted or reasoned with. He doesn’t feel remorse or sorrow. And
you’ll never see him express a shred of sympathy for those he’s sent to reap.

He’s a
coldhearted hotblooded executioner who has never lost a mark.

Interested?

I do hope
so...after all, you wouldn’t want to annoy the very epitome of death on two
legs.

Press the pre-order link
below to secure your copy of a lifeline you might desperately need.

Friday, September 11, 2015

What’s
Happening in Hell?

Since
its inception in 1986, Janet Morris’ award winning and critically acclaimed
Heroes in Hell universe has gone from strength to strength. And is it any
wonder? Just look at the pedigree of the series as a whole:

Heroes in Hell
The Gates of Hell
Rebels in Hell
Kings in Hell
Crusaders in Hell
Legions of Hell
Angels in Hell
Masters in Hell
The Little Helliad
War in Hell
Prophets in Hell
Explorers in Hell
Lawyers in Hell
Rogues in Hell
Bridge Over Hell
Dreamers in Hell
Poets in Hell
Doctors in Hell

A whole host of quality writers have contributed to an
endlessly expanding theatre in which some of the most despicable characters in
history get their just deserts, over and over again.

Indeed, the latest addition to the fold – Doctors in Hell – is already topping
numerous Goodreads lists in a wide range of genre related categories.

Doctors in Hell introduced us to Satan’s chief bounty
hunter, none other than the Reaper himself, Daemon Grim. You’ll be delighted to
hear that Grim will soon be appearing in his very own HIH adventure – Hell Bound
– along with a number of other well established villains you’ve already come to
know and hate...

Monday, September 7, 2015

Who is Your
Hero in Hell?

Heroes in Hell is a series of
shared world fantasy books, within the genre Bangsian fantasy, created and
edited by Janet Morris and written by her, Chris Morris, C. J. Cherryh and
others. The first 12 books in the series were published by Baen Books between
1986 and 1989, and stories from the series include one Hugo Award winner and
Nebula nominee, (Gilgamesh in the Outback by Robert Silverberg from Rebels
in Hell), as well as one other Nebula Award nominee. The series was
resurrected in 2011 by Janet Morris with the thirteenth book and eighth
anthology in the series, Lawyers in Hell, followed by four more
anthologies and a novel between 2012 and 2015.

*******

But, have
you ever wondered what the leading lights of speculative fiction have to say
about the Heroes in Hell shared
universe series?

Science fiction and fantasy author
Orson Scott Card compared the success of Heroes in Hell with other
shared worlds like Thieves' World, Wild Cards and Liavek said that this "almost guarantees that shared worlds will be around
for many years to come.” The webzine SF Site discussed the popularity of
shared worlds in the 1980s and listed Heroes in Hell as a "significant
example" of one of them. Library Journal called Heroes in Hell
"a garden of infernal delights.”

*******

Miriam Van Scott reviews the first
novel in the series within her book Encyclopedia of Hell.

Author Janet Morris created a unique
underworld saga in her 1984 book, Heroes in Hell, a witty novel that declares
"Nobody who is anybody went to heaven." The collection of infernal
vignettes features everyone from the legendary hero GILGAMESH to actor James
Dean in the great below, with the likes of Caesar and Mao Zedong thrown in for
color. Trapped in the abyss of fire, the villains continue vying for power and
position in the underworld to the delight of SATAN, their new overseer. Heroes
was published with a companion novel, Gates of Hell.

—Miriam Van Scott, Encyclopedia of Hell, pg. 162

She later describes the entire series
within the same book.

Innovative and clever, the Damned Saga
weaves myth, legend, fact, and fantasy into a fascinating tapestry of
underworld lore. The Heroes series also testifies to the immense popularity
hell enjoys even in this modern age of literature.

*******

And here are some recent headliners
that provide food for thought.

"Deep, thought-provoking fantasy of
immense caliber."

"Prepare to have your minds blown."

"Punishment galore – Pandemonium aplenty
– Panic without end."

"First Class."

"Heaven would not be as nearly as
entertaining."

"A honed recipe of human habits and
myths with a theme."

*******

And the good news is...This universe
continues to grow.

Just look at the diversity you will find in Hell.

Heroes in Hell
The Gates of Hell
Rebels in Hell
Kings in Hell
Crusaders in Hell
Legions of Hell
Angels in Hell
Masters in Hell
The Little Helliad
War in Hell
Prophets in Hell
Explorers in Hell
Lawyers in Hell
Rogues in Hell
Bridge Over Hell
Dreamers in Hell
Poets in Hell
Doctors in Hell

See anything that takes your fancy?

Here’s a list of recent heroes in Hell
books. Just click a link, every one will take you on a rollercoaster ride of
reprehensible behavior.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Fact or Fiction?

I'm sure many of you will have seen such epics as The Eagle or Centurion, bestselling films based on the lost Ninth Legion of Rome.

And it's not surprising, for the fate of the Ninth is not only the subject of myth and legend, but many books and analytical papers too. Around A.D. 100, Five thousand men - a veritable mini-civilization - marched north into the Caledonian wilds never to be seen or heard of again.

The disappearance of the Ninth caused widespread repercussions, perhaps the most longlasting of which is the wall that still divides Scotland from England, supposedly built on the order of Emperor Hadrian himself as a result of that tragic disappearance.

Have YOU ever wondered what happened to the Ninth?

Well, you need look no longer...

Wouldn't it be incredible to think that THIS might have happened?

*********************************************************

What could unite a Roman Legion and the Caledonian army they are fighting?

Or a US Cavalry Company with the Native American tribes arrayed against them?

How about a highly trained and motivated Special Forces unit and the terrorists they have been sent to wipe out at all costs?

Yes…

What could such a diverse and mutually aggressive group possibly have in common?

Arden – and the Horde, that’s what!

Arden, home to a culture that has existed for thousands of years and which spans dozens of worlds. Regardless, their sophistication cannot prevent calamity at the hands of an unstoppable nemesis. Known only as the Horde, this enemy has proven relentless. They have not only stripped the outer colonies bare, but now threaten the existence of the entire Ardenese way of life.

Realizing there is nothing they can do to prevent the inevitable march toward extinction, the Ardenese governing body comes to a drastic decision. They gather together at their capital city, Rhomane, and place their remaining genetic heritage in a vast underground ark, in the care of an advanced AI construct called the Architect. Its mission? To use Rhomane’s dwindling reserves and safeguardtheir race by reaching out across time and space toward those whomight be in a position to help reseed a devastated world at some timein the future.

That’s how soldiers from varying eras and vastly different backgrounds find themselves together. Snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing they are transported to the far side of the galaxy. Thinking they have been granted a reprieve, their relief turns to horror when they discover they face a simple but stark ultimatum:

Put aside your former animosities and preconceptions in order to survive.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Do YOU Know Your Hell?

Heroes in Hell is a series of
shared world fantasy books, within the genre Bangsian fantasy, created and
edited by Janet Morris and written by her, Chris Morris, C. J. Cherryh and
others. The first 12 books in the series were published by Baen Books between
1986 and 1989, and stories from the series include one Hugo Award winner and
Nebula nominee, (Gilgamesh in the Outback by Robert Silverberg from Rebels
in Hell), as well as one other Nebula Award nominee. The series was
resurrected in 2011 by Janet Morris with the thirteenth book and eighth
anthology in the series, Lawyers in Hell, followed by four more
anthologies and a novel between 2012 and 2015.

So, what’s the background?

The shared world premise of Heroes in Hell (also
called The Damned Saga) is that all the dead wind up together in Hell,
where they pick up where they left off when still alive. The Encyclopedia of Fantasy
states "In the long series of shared world adventures begun with Heroes
in Hell, Hell becomes an arena in which all the interesting people in history
can come together to continue the relentless pursuit of their various ends.”
Brian Stableford commented that the series "adapted the backcloth of
Dantean fantasy as a stage for violent adventures with ironic echoes of
infernal comedy.

Interested?

You should be. Just think of what you could do with such
a concept, wherethe dastardly deeds, despicable desires and dark secrets of the
most infamous souls in all history are stirred to fruition and laid bare for your
inspection.

Click the
link to Perseid Press and find out more about the books in the series. You won’t
be disappointed.

My latest Blog for Astronaut.com

My Latest Blog For Amazing Stories

The World of The IX Series

About Me

I am a Royal Marine and Police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with my wife, Annette, and our growing family of rescue cats.
As creator of the critically acclaimed IX Series, and Hell Bound & Hell Hounds, (novels forming part of Janet Morris' Heroes in Hell universe), I also have the privilege of being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the British Fantasy Society, and the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.
When not working, I devote some of my spare time to assisting NASA with one of their remote research projects, and supporting charities. I also write educational articles for Astronaut.com and Amazing Stories.
On weekends, you might also find me drinking Earl Grey Tea whilst dressed as Captain Jean Luc Picard.
Make it so...
If you would like to find out more, just follow the links at the top of the page.

The Future of Science Fiction

The IX Series

The Senate & The People of Rome

The IX

International #1 Bestseller

The IX

The IX, an epic novel spanning past, present, and future:The ultimatum:Fight or die.Roman legionnaires, far from home, lost in the mists of Caledonia; a US cavalry company on a special mission for Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln; and a Special Forces unit from the 21st century, desperate to prevent nuclear catastrophe:Snatched away from Earth at the moment of death to a failing planet far away, these misfit soldiers must unite against a relentless foe, where the cost of victory may be more than they're willing to pay. How far will they go to stay alive?From Perseid Press.

Exordium of Tears

Book 2 of The IX Series

Exordium of Tears

Fight or die.That simple yet brutal reality is the tenet by which the refugees from Earth – including the fabled lost 9th Legion of Rome; the 5th Company, 2nd Mounted Cavalry Unit; and the Special Forces Anti-Terrorist Team – were forced to live by while the Horde menace existed. Believing that the threat is over, thesurvivors now yearn to settle down, start families, and reclaim the lives stolen from them.But such aspirations might remain beyond their reach, for a shadow looms on the rose-tinted horizon of new beginnings.The release of the re-genesis matrix has done much to foster a restoration of exuberance across Arden. Along with a resurgence in floral and faunal diversity comes the results of splicing the Ardenese and human genomes: transmutation. Ametamorphosis of stunning magnitude that not only affects the living, but those still is stasis as well.Recognizing the emergence of a new hybrid species, the Architect – the arcane AI construct tasked with the preservation of the Ardenese race – responds by unlockingpreviously hidden and inaccessible areas of the city. It also releases an archive of sealed state secrets. Such revelations are eagerly perused, whereupon a shocking discovery is made.Prior to the fall, it was common knowledge amongst the Senatum (the highest levels of Arden’s government) that not all the rabid Horde had joined in the rampage across the stars toward Arden.Realizing that the peril still exists, the newly reformed administration elects to respond in earnest. Existing resources are utilized, suitable candidates are chosen, and a flotilla of ships is sent out to secure, quarantine, and reclaim the outer colonies. A mammoth and hazardous undertaking. And nowhere more so than at the planet from where the outbreak was known to have originated – Exordium – for there, the ancient Horde are not only supremely evolved and highly organized, but are capable of a level of lethal sophistication, the likes of which has never been witnessed before.It is into this kiln of incendiary potential that the cream of Arden’s fighting forces is deployed.Worlds are torn asunder, suns destroyed, and star systems obliterated. Yes, tragedy is forged, in a universe spanning conflict which proves once again that…

Death is onlythe beginning of the adventure.

Prelude to Sorrow

The IX Series

Prelude to Sorrow

The task force dispatched from Arden to eradicate the Horde menace failed, and for those few left alive, the tenet by which they have survived for so long resounds as never before.

Fight or Die!

Now marooned, out of time and out of place, the survivors lick their wounds and struggle to recover while the Horde gather their strength for a final strike that will change the course of history forever. The fate of the galaxy – and more – hangs in the balance.

But fate, it seems, isn’t done with the Ninth, and our heroes find themselves forced to mount a last-ditch attempt to end the threat once and for all.

Will the darkness be vanquished, or will our heroes’ efforts finally signal the beginning of the end of their adventure?

The Glorious Ninth

Fight or Die!

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Welcome to the Fire Asylum. This is truly a safe place for what the world contends is insane behavior. The activities here are specifically designed with the firefighter in mind. Your training here, or treatment, may seem tough and challenging. Remember that it is for your own good. Here are a few words from our director of activities to inspire your stay.

"In our silent crucible, we are tested by fire. In that place where life can and does change forever, peace is given like a gift to the ones who have endured."

Hell Bound

International #1 Bestseller

Hell Bound

In hell, none of the condemned believes they deserve to be there. And that’s fine, so long as they’re not foolish enough to try and do anything about it. For those that do, there’s always Satan’s Reaper–and chief bounty hunter–Daemon Grim.Feared throughout the many layers of the underverse, no one in their right mind dares to cross him.However, when Grim discovers that someone has attempted to evade injustice, and seems hell-bent on gaining access to ancient angelic artifacts proscribed since the time of the original rebellion in heaven, circumstances point to the fact they may be doing just that.The question is...why?Thus begins an investigation that leads Grim throughout the many contradictory and baffling levels of the underworld, where he unearths a conspiracy that is not only eating its way like a cancer through the highest echelons of Hellion society,but one which threatens the very stability of Satan’s rule.

As you can imagine, Grim’s response is bloody, brutal, and despicably wicked.

Pieces of Hate******************It's sink or swim in this swashbuckling adventure where Daemon Grim, Satan's Reaper, is sent on a quest to recover booty of great value to His Infernal Majesty.But what lurks at the center of Skull Island? Is it truly treasure, or will there be fools gold aplenty in a tale that proves once and for all that, when it comes to burying something in your chest, blood money is the only currency the Reaper recognizes.

Hell Hounds

Coming October 31st

Hell Hounds

Feared throughout the many circles of the underworld, Satan’s Reaper – and chief bounty hunter – Daemon Grim, is known as a true force to be reckoned with.

Having eliminated a major player in the uprising eating its way like a cancer through the underbelly of hell, Grim is stunned to discover he cannot afford to rest on his laurels, for the rebellion runs far deeper than was ever imagined. New players have emerged – denizens with uncanny abilities – who seem determined to support Chopin and Tesla’s revolutionary agenda.

Ever keen to test their mettle, the Sibitti – personified weapons of the ancient Babylonian plague god, Erra – also appear eager to capitalize on the growing unrest, and set about maneuvering events in order to place themselves in direct opposition to Grim’s investigation.

And if that was not cause for concern enough, there’s an insane angel on the loose, a creature as hell-bent on creating havoc as he is to return home.

How do Grim and his rabid pack of bounty hunters respond?

Baying for blood – doesn’t even begin to describe it.

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